What Happened to Nicolo Schiro?

[JoelTurner]

Nicolo “Cola” Schiro was a boss of what’s now known as the Bonanno family. Shortly before the Castellammarese War, he was deposed and was forced to pay his adversaries.

There are two accounts of this:

Joe Bonanno:

“Now it was time for Joe the Boss to assert himself in regards to the Castellammarese in Brooklyn. Masseria demanded and received a $10,000 tribute from Schiro. [...] After paying the money (buying his life), Schiro went into hiding. His disappearance disheartened the rank and file of our family. He left us without word, without explanation.”

A Man of Honor: The Autobiography of Joseph Bonanno - P.102

The book implies that this event took place early-to-mid July 1930. Maranzano predicts that Masseria would go after Vito Bonventre next and he’s killed two days after this warning. [Bonventre was killed on Jul 15 1930]


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Unknown Newark Informant



According to the informant, SCHIRO learned that the Mafia planned to kidnap [Frank] LANZA and hold him for high ransom. SCHIRO allegedly informed LANZA of the kidnap plot. According to informant others in the Mafia found out that SCHIRO had “informed” and in early 1929 held a meeting at Andover, New Jersey, to decide the fate of SCHIRO. The informant related that SCHIRO had been held in high regard by the Mafia and in consideration of this his life was spared. However, he had to pay $300,000.00 to the mafia and relinquish all control of the rackets in and around Brooklyn.

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There a minor discrepancies between the two accounts; I’d lean towards Bonanno’s version as it’s more realistic in terms of money amounts and timeline. Either ways, both of them are recalling an event that happened decades prior.

After this incident Schiro isn’t mentioned anywhere as a major figure. I’m assuming he was semi-retired as he was ~60 and was wealthy.

I find the 2nd account really interesting. The informant knew specific details - Andover, NJ was a town of ~480 at the time - yet the story seems incredible. I’ve never heard of a mob boss being kidnapped and held for ransom. Schiro would have had contacts with bosses in several cities, he wouldn’t have been a pushover either to be deposed and extorted.

Bonanno may not have known about this affair. He makes it clear that the rest of the family didn’t know. This was obviously a high level meeting.

What happened to Cola Schiro ?

[B.]

I've been curious if Schiro remained a Bonanno member or could have transferred to Newark since there were Camporealesi and other Trapani guys involved w/ that Family.

Here's an older thread analyzing that same report and some of these relationships:

viewtopic.php?f=29&t=5857&p=140882

[ukthesis]

I believe he dies of natural causes in 1957 in Sicily. I don't have the reference now with me.

[JoelTurner]

Thanks for sharing the link!

The Bonannos had a small presence in north Jersey so it is interesting that he wound up there, especially in Essex County.

His BIL Salvatore Grippi lived there. About him, MM Charts
Says: “He was one of the founders of the Family, along with his relative Schiro. A group of Sicilian Mafiosi from towns in Palermo Province, including Antonio Governale, Paolo Orlando, Nicola Schiro and Grippi formed a faction in Brooklyn. [...] Under pressure from rivals, Schiro fled NYC abandoning the Family. He sought refuge with Grippi in New Jersey [1940 Census]”

This was Grippi’s 1940 census info: https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-con ... 61544:2442. I don’t see Schiro living with him.

Interestingly, Grippi was arrested with Charles Matranga whom I mentioned in the Newark thread as a likely member from Camporeale.

[Etna]

Thanks for sharing the link!

The Bonannos had a small presence in north Jersey so it is interesting that he wound up there, especially in Essex County.

His BIL Salvatore Grippi lived there. About him, MM Charts
Says: “He was one of the founders of the Family, along with his relative Schiro. A group of Sicilian Mafiosi from towns in Palermo Province, including Antonio Governale, Paolo Orlando, Nicola Schiro and Grippi formed a faction in Brooklyn. [...] Under pressure from rivals, Schiro fled NYC abandoning the Family. He sought refuge with Grippi in New Jersey [1940 Census]”

This was Grippi’s 1940 census info: https://www.ancestry.ca/discoveryui-con ... 61544:2442. I don’t see Schiro living with him.

Interestingly, Grippi was arrested with Charles Matranga whom I mentioned in the Newark thread as a likely member from Camporeale.

So if I am reading this right, the Bonanno family was originally comprised of a mixture of both Palermitani and Castellamarese, with the latter growing in power and size soon after?

[Antiliar]

Three towns dominated the borgata in the beginning: Camporeale, Castellammare del Golfo, and Partinico. Santa Ninfa played a role too, perhaps by the 1910s. Governale, Orlando, Schiro and Grippi were all connected to Camporeale, either directly or through ancestry. Sebastiano DiGaetano was probably the first (or among the first) of the Castellammaresi.

[PolackTony]

Worth noting also that Camporeale only became part of Palermo province in 1954; prior to that it was part of Trapani, so someone from Camporeale wouldn’t have been considered Palermitano. Partinico also directly borders Àlcamo and is little more than a stone’s throw from CDG. Even the men who were from Palermo province thus weren’t from the same Palermo networks as the D’Aquila and Mineo Families, but rather from an area closely tied to CDG/Àlcamo.

[Etna]

Great info. Thanks for the feedback, gentlemen!

[JoelTurner]

Worth noting also that Camporeale only became part of Palermo province in 1954; prior to that it was part of Trapani, so someone from Camporeale wouldn’t have been considered Palermitano.

Really interesting, I didn't know that

[JoelTurner]

Other than his wife, is there anything connecting Grippi to the Bonanno family? Was he named by any informants or was he on any lists?

[B.]

He was a cousin of Carlo Costantino as well so he was related to two of the top Bonanno leaders from the early era.